Her keynote will explore how teams can thrive and innovate in the age of AI.

WASHINGTON, DC—December 16, 2025—The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) announces that Erica Dhawan, an internationally recognized authority on 21st century collaboration, bestselling author, and one of the world’s top 50 management thinkers, will deliver the opening day keynote address at The HFA Show 2026, taking place March 16–18, 2026, in San Diego.

Dhawan’s keynote, “Win Together: Building Resilient, High-Performing Teams in the Age of AI,” sponsored by Zenoti, will equip attendees with research-backed strategies to build trust, foster agility, and elevate performance amid rapid technological change. Drawing from her work advising global organizations, Dhawan will share how teams can turn digital challenges into opportunities, harness AI to drive smarter decisions, and create cultures where collaboration and innovation thrive.

Her message reinforces The HFA Show 2026 theme: Stronger Together. As the fitness industry accelerates into a more digital and data-driven future, Dhawan’s insights will empower leaders to unlock collective potential, strengthen organizational resilience, and navigate the evolving world of work with confidence and purpose.

Dhawan is the bestselling author of “Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence” and “Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance.” Named by Thinkers50 as one of the top 50 management thinkers in the world, she is a leading expert on modern teamwork, collaboration, and innovation. Her work appears regularly in the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and The Wall Street Journal.

A sought-after keynote speaker, Dhawan has delivered presentations for global stages and organizations including the World Economic Forum at Davos, the US Army, Coca-Cola, FedEx, Goldman Sachs, Walmart, and Cisco. She holds degrees from Harvard University, MIT Sloan, and The Wharton School.

The HFA Show is the premier annual event for the health and fitness industry, hosted by the Health & Fitness Association. It brings together fitness professionals, club operators, wellness innovators, and thought leaders for three days of education, networking, and inspiration. It also offers two days (March 17–18) of a vibrant trade show.

Attendees are encouraged to arrive on March 15 for the Health & Fitness Hall of Fame ceremony where the association will induct eight pioneers into the HFA Hall of Fame.

To learn more and to register for The HFA Show 2026, go to healthandfitness.org/show. 

About the Health & Fitness Association

The Health & Fitness Association (formerly IHRSA), a global community of industry leaders, is the only worldwide trade association providing a unified voice for the community of leaders who operate health and fitness facilities, offer professional guidance on physical activity, and provide the tools and equipment to do so to the millions of fitness facility members who understand that exercise improves their physical and mental health.

Through advocacy, education, and research, the association speaks to opportunities, challenges, and changes that are moving the industry into a new era.

Founded in 1981, the association publishes a monthly magazine, Health & Fitness Business, and operates The HFA Show, the European Congress, and the Fly-In and Advocacy Summit. It also operates partnerships with ChinaFit, Fitness Brasil, and MEFIT Summit. Follow the Health & Fitness Association on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.